Closure for containers



Dec. 8, 1953 H. B. HowE CLosuRE FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 22, 1950 M: "anun,

INVENTOR.

MM 004s H .bf/fm T o Dn Patented Dec. 8, 1953 2,661,863 n GLSURE FOR CONTAINERS Herbert B. Howe, Chatham, N. 5.

Application April 22, 1950, Serial No. 157,442

l Claim. 1

This invention relates to closures for containers and the like and more particularly to a new and improved closure assembly for containers.

Containers, such as drums, are commonly formed with openings smaller than one surface of the container. One type of such opening is commonly referred to as a bung, and is generally used in a container for holding a liquid. These bungs usually involve a threaded closure andthe.

bung assemblage is separately formed and secured in the container. Their construction is relatively complex and their use requires threading the closure into the threads of the bung opening. This often consumes some time in getting the threads started properly and to turn the threaded closure up tight. There is always the difficulty of crossing the threads or otherwise damaging them.

Another type of lclosure with a relatively small opening as compared with the surface of the container in which it is formed, isa friction-held closure in which the closure is pressed into the opening in the container and held there by friction. This type of closure is usually used on containers for solids. It is relatively insecure and generally requires some other type of locking means.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel closure which is free of the deficiencies of the prior fart and which nevertheless may be manufactured by mass production techniques at minimum cost.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel closure for containers which may be disposed at one of a plurality of points on the container, the closure affording a liquid-tight seal having high resistance to shock, vibration and the like and which may be repeatedly assembled and disassembled without destroying the effectiveness of the seal.

According to the invention the closure con prises an annular portion which may be formed in any given plane surface or curved surface vof the container which surface is larger than the size of the opening. The margin of the opening is formed with a sealing surface and a substantially cylindrical wall portion extends therefrom into the container, both the sealing surface and wall portion preferably being carried by the container surface bounding the closure.

A plurality of circumferentially spaced locking members are formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical wall, the locking members prefera-bly being formed by striking out portions of the wall to provide inclined, fiat locking surfaces, as well as a plurality of drain-openings com- OFFICE municatingwith the inside of the container at a point above the inner edge of the cylindrical wall.

The closure member is disc-shaped and is formed with a peripheral sealing surface, a peripheralor cylindrical wall and a recessed center portion adapted to be received within the opening in the container. spaced-apart locking mem-bers are formed externally on a peripheral wall of fthe closure to be received initially between the locking members on said cylindrical Wall so that rotation of the closure causes the locking members to engage those on the cylindrical wall to draw the sealing surfaces into engagement. In order to facilitate rotation of the closure,

t finger-grip means may be formed integrally on the closure element in the central portion.

The above and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is aview in perspective of a container selected for purposes of illustration of the invention and having two closures formed therein according to the invention, said closures being of the bung type;

Fig. 2 is a View in perspective of a container showing a modified embodiment of the invention in which the closure is relatively larger;

Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of the closure assembly showing both the closure member and the contoured means defining the opening in which the closure member is received;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View in cross section of the closure member shown in Fig. 3, taken on the line 4-15 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. `5 is a fragmentary view in cross section of the closure member shown in Fig. 3, taken on the line l'5--5 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in cross section of the wall means defining the opening in the container and a locking member formed therein to provide a drain opening taken on fthe line -i of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in cross section corresponding to Figs. 5 and 6 and showing the closure 4member locked in sealing position in the opening' in the container.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred form of the invention is shown as embodied in a metal drum i0. Alternatively the closure may be incorporated in containers of other ktypes and shapes, a metal drum having been selected herein merely for purposes of illustration.

The drum Ii) comprises a disc-shaped top surface i2 and a cylindrical wall portion II. Formed in the wall E! as well as in the surface I2 are closure assemblies I3, each comprising a removable closure member I4 and a contoured seat IS, all as formed according to the invention described below.

The seat l5 Icomprises an annular, upstanding Wall portion I6 formed integrally with the surface I2, and a shaped, continuous sealing bead or surface I'I disposed thereabove. The inner edge of the sealing surface lI joins an inner cylim drical wall portion I8 having a plurality of equally spaced-apart locking members I9' formed therein closely adjacent the sealing; surface.4 For purposes of illustration the total number of. locking members I9 shown in the drawing four, although it will be understood that more or less may be provided tosuit the particular require-- ments of eachclosure.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention these loosing members Iii are formed as struck-out, elongated portions each having a rounded upper surface Ida and a lower engaging or bearing surface -il facing into the container and separated from the wall to form a drain opening therein as designated generally by the numeral 2 I and communicating with the inside of r the container. The bearing surfaces 2-0 on locking membersr i9 are carefully formed so as to be laterally perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical wall portion, the surfaces 25% also being inclined at a small angle to the plane normal Y to the axis ofthe cylindrical portion, such as 4 for example, to afforda wedging action in the closure assemblyas described below.

The closure member i4A comprises a disc-shaped member having a recessed center portion 22 formed integrally with an upstan-ding peripheral wall portion 2'3 having an annular indentation 24; formed therein and connecting with an out-V wardly' rolled sea-iing surface or edge 25', the

periphery of' which may be formed with an annu- J lar radial extension 26.

The peripheral wall portion 23 is formed with four circumferentiallyY spaced, inwardly project--A ing locking members 2T each having an engaging or bearing surface 28 (Fig. ilv which is lateru ally perpendicular to the axis of the peripheral walt' and also longitudmally' inclined at an angle of 4 to the plane of the central surface portion 22-. The length of each locking member 2.1 is slightly less than the circumferential distance between adjacent locking members t9V formed on the container in order that the former may be received between-the latter in seating the closure.

Also formed within the recessed closure member i5 are a pair of finger-gripping elements or wrench lugs 29 diametrically aligned adjacent opposite edges of the closure to facilitate turning manipulation as is required in locking and unlocking the closure.

If desired, and if the dimensions of the closure. are such that it isr possible, the handle element may be modied as shown in Fig. 2 wherein the handle 39 is formed as a single element centrallyl disposed within the closure.

The closure is assembled byv seating the closure member I4 in the opening defined by the wall I8 so that the locking members 2T are received between the spaced locking members |91. Rotation of the closure member brings the inclined bearing surface ZI) of the locking members I9 into d Wedging engagement with corresponding bearing surface 28 of the locking members 21 formed in the closure member I4. Because the respective cooperating bearing surfaces 2B and 28 are inclined, a wedging action is set up which draws the annular sealing surface 25 of the closure tightly against the annular sealing surface I'I formed on the container to form an eiective fluid-tight seal therebetween. The curved portion lila.: of the locking member i9 affords springing action which serves to maintain the locked bearing surfaces 2B and 28 in engagement at such times as the closure assembly is subjected to extraordinary stresses. Thus it will be understood that even if the closure member is caused to turn slightly through jarring, the tenof the sprung portion Isc will continue to hold the sealing surfaces in engagement. Because the engaged surfaces 2i) and 23 respec tively, are transversely perpendicular to the axis of cylindrical and peripheral wall portions, the closure will remain fixed in, sealing position and will withstand extreme shock and vibration which would dislodge; closures of `com/entional design. ThisA isy toV be contrasted with the angular engagernentl of threads',

lr desired a. gasket member 3l may be interposed between the contiguous sealing surfaces to supplement the sealing properties of they assembly'..

It will be apparent thatV a closure formed according tol thisinvention may, depending upon its size, be incorporated in any fiat or gently curved surface such as the top or side of a metalbarrel. drum or other container..

It; will also be apparent that the invention provides highly effective closures for containers, the structural design of' the. closure being such that it may be. formed conveniently7 and economical-ly containers of' a wide variety oi" shapes and sizes. Moreover the closure one which is ex-A tremehzrobust even though the sheet material of which it formed may be comparatively thin, with the characteristics of the design being such that. both the. locking members and drain apen. tures of the container may be formed in a. single fabricating operation to provide a closure seat which does; not` interfere unnecessarily with the process, of draining the; container of iiuid contentsL lvoreover the springv action provided by the locking members, as well as the fact that the mutually engaged bearingV surfaces of the locking; members are. perpendicular to the center-y line of the opening, results in a fluid-tight closure capable. of withstanding extreme shock without leaking.

lin certain closurey assemblies formed accord'- i-ng to the invention it may be desirable to provide means whereby the person removing the closure. member will; be able to ascertain precisely when the lccldngv members 21 cf the. closure ht are angularly disposed between the. lccking members I9 carried by the container, in whichz position the, closure may be, unseat-,ed and lifted free of the container. To this end a stop lug 34 CFig. 3'), may be. formed adjacent the end of one. or more; of theV locking members. le, which lug will be. engaged bythe. trailing end of one of the locking members` 21 of the closure as the closureA is.y counter-rotated to4 release the lock. The locking member'I 2 which will engage the lug 3l will of course be that one which was next circumferentially spaced from it in the proper hand of rotation when the lock was established. The lug 3i may, according to the particular requirements of the closure, extend either above or below the locking member I9, or it may extend in both directions as shown in Fig. 3 .for purposes of illustration. Or if preferred a stop lug may be formed on .the locking member 21 on the closure member. In any event a stop lug may also be utilized to limit the angular movement of the closure member to a predetermined amount, thereby to prevent the development of extraordinary locking force, for example, which might damage the closure assembly in certain cases.

While specic embodiments have been described in detail herein, it will be understood that the invention should not be limited thereto, but is susceptible of changes and modifications within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A container and closure therefor, one surface of the container having a cylindrical wall portion dening an opening therein and extending into the container, said container having an outer product-confining wall laterally surrounding and spaced from said cylindrical wall portion, a continuous circumferential sealing surface joining said cylindrical wall portion adjacent its out er end and said surface in a iiuid tight connection, a plurality of angularly spaced-apart locking members projecting radially inwardly from said cylindrical wall portion, each of said locking members having a bearing surface substantially perpendicular to said cylindrical wall portion and being slightly inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical wall portion, said locking members being struck inwardly from the surface of the cylindrical wall to form drain openings communicating with the inside of the container, each of said locking members being disposed in said cylindrical Wall portion substantially in the plane of said outer product-confining wall, said locking members being spaced from the inner edge of said cylindrical wall portion along the axis of the cylindrical wall portion; said closure being of substantially disc-like shape and having a continuous outwardly extending circumferential sealing surface conforming to and CII adapted to overlie the sealing surface on said cylindrical wall portion to form a tight joint, said closure also having a central depressed portion forming a peripheral wall, the upper portion of said peripheral wall fitting within said cylindrical wall portion and the lower portion of said peripheral wall having a plurality of angularly spaced-apart outwardly projecting loci'- ing members, the length of said closure locking members being less than the spacing between the adjacent container locking members to facilitate insertion of the closure in the container; each of said closure locking members having a bearing surface lying substantially perpendicular to said peripheral wall of the closure and being slightly inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of said peripheral wall, such that when the closure is turned in the container the locking member bearing surfaces on the cylindrical wall portion of the container tightly engage the locking member bearing surfaces on the closure, bringing the circumferential sealing surfaces on the closure and on said cylindrical wall portion towards each other to form an effective seal preventing leakage through said drain openings.

HERBERT B. I-IOWE.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 587,486 Lambert Aug. 3, 1897 1,239,223 Ross Sept. 4, 1917 1,362,713 McColl Dec. 21, 1920 1,526,375 Riegel Feb. '17, 1925 1,598,098 Muhlbach Aug. 31, 1926 1,621,487 Aulbach Mar. 22, 1927 1,746,925 Boyle, Jr. Feb. 11, 1930 1,972,156 McCrudden Sept. 4, 1934 2,122,904 Ambrosius July 5, '1938 2,241,793 Steven May 13, 1941 2,505,641 Howe Apr. 25, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 237,603 Switzerland Sept. 17, 1945 474,844 Great Britain Nov. 9, 1937 

